I have a Merwin-Hulbert pocket revolver that has the following inscription engraved on the its curved backstrap: "To J. J. Hill Scenic 1893 From SPD". The engraving is in cursive style. I believe this was engraved using a machine because repeated letters are identical and the engraving is the same width and depth over its entirety. The engraving font size is very close to the above quote.

Thanks for responding. I don't know if my camera can focus close enough to do this, but I'll try.

John

Put it on the macro setting will focus close enough for sure (if it's a point and shoot). Set for two second timer. Use tripod if you've got it. But should work handheld w any camera out of tge last ten tears or so.

John, It looks like diamond drag done with a pantograph or maybe spinning D bit in the same type of pantograph. Yes, it will go over a slight curved surface and were around back then. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantograph

A quick search yielded this: http://americanhistory.si.edu/collec...ct/nmah_998164
Apparently patented in 1870, so it's possible that they worked out something that would do the sort of engraving you have there. It surprised me that the technology existed. Never mind making the machine pretty.

Funny you should bring up the Spencer Engraving Machine. I was recently given one to see if I can make it work. It has some missing pieces, but it doesn't look like it should be too difficult to bring back to life.

While pantograph engravers were around back then, they were VERY rare. Hand engravers were very common and would have been much more likely to have been used to engrave a presentation firearm. The font appears to be a standard New Hermes pantograph font. New Hermes machines were not around back then.